Directorate of Extension Education, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana conducted a training on “Eco-friendly Livestock Farming” for the animal scientists of different Krishi Vigyan Kendras of Punjab. On this occasion Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor said that livestock production hinges on a delicate balance with the environment which has been affected by climate change over the past few decades. He added that Indian culture has a rich repository of eco-friendly traditional knowledge and farming practices. Recent technological developments have resulted in shifting of livestock management practices towards input intensive management which threatens the well-being of the human population. There is an urgent need to unearth hidden knowledge based on Ethno-veterinary practices and modify them in the light of modern technology for safe and chemical free food for our population.
Dr. Parvender Sheoran, Director of ATARI- Zone-1, Ludhiana said that there is a lot of discussion among policy makers on promoting One Health as a means of sustainable food production while also protecting the environment. He added that this training is an important step in disseminating information of sustainable food production among the farming community for its adoption. Dr. Parkash Singh Brar, Director of Extension Education said that climate change poses a serious threat to the dairy industry in India. Climate change can seriously affect the reproduction of dairy animals while also decreasing their production. This training has been organized to sensitize the scientists of KVKs regarding environment friendly technologies that can reduce the overall carbon footprint of dairy animals.
Dr. Simranpreet Kaur and Dr. Rajneesh Sharma discussed the importance of biosecurity and antibiotic residue free livestock products. Dr. R K Sharma discussed the use of ethno-veterinary practices for safeguarding the health of dairy animals. Dr. R S Grewal talked about nutritional strategies for improving the milk production of livestock. Dr. Sanjay Choudhary explained the methods for using animal waste as a resource in agriculture thereby reducing methane emissions.
